Lockhart urges Government to address Protocol impact on farming
Local DUP MP Carla Lockhart has called on Government to take action as a matter of urgency to lift the ban on seed potatoes entering Northern Ireland from Scotland, and to ensure the full range of veterinary medicines available today in Northern Ireland remain available to use after 1st January 2023.
Speaking in Westminster in a debate to mark Back British Farming Day, the Upper Bann MP said;
“In Northern Ireland there are additional challenges for our agri-food because of the protocol. We only need to look at the seed potato issue. We cannot get seed potato from Scotland to Northern Ireland. This is causing a real impact on our potato industry, particularly in varities that are not available from seed in Northern Ireland.
Furthermore, some 50% of veterinary medicines will not be available to Northern Ireland in January after the grace period ends. If not resolved, this is going to cause a animal health and animal welfare crisis.
Great Britain’s farmers would not accept this so Northern Ireland farmers should not have to, either. A level playing field is essential to ensure the marketplace is fair and competitive for all. Currently, the Northern Ireland industry is facing challenges and obstacles that are damaging.
We need the Protocol replaced as soon as possible, to allow the free flow of goods across the Irish Sea restored. Tinkering around the edges will not provide the solutions our farmers need, or our wider community need.”
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